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Green Composites for Marine Applications Caitlin Lambert Faculty Advisor: Truc Ngo Department of Engineering
Currently, composite materials developed for marine applications are prepared using resins that do not degrade once they are discarded. While the mechanical properties of these composites are highly effective, they are unrecyclable and are not biodegradable. The objective of the project is to develop a biodegradable composite with comparable mechanical properties. The experimental and traditional composites are prepared using the hand lay-up method and then composted in a controlled experiment to determine the rate of biodegradation. The samples are prepared with traditional resins and fabrics, like epoxy, polyester, and fiberglass, and also with experimental resins and fabrics, such as linseed oil-based resin, hemp, bamboo, and cotton. A secondary reinforcing phase (linseed oil or pine oil) is also added to the composite matrix to improve the material’s durability. Thickness uniformity and mechanical properties of the developed materials, such as surface hardness and tensile strength, are characterized and compared to the traditional ones.
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Cultivation of Body Images Madison Levine, Chris Gray, Regina Bernal, Marina Nunokawa Faculty Advisor: Mary Brinson Department of Communication Studies
Television, movies, and magazines constantly bombard the world with unrealistic norms of what the human body should look like. This study aims to support the idea that exposure to the media over a period of time causes college students to internalize negative feelings about their own body. Using the lens of cultivation theory, researchers of this study predict that heavy media users will have a more distorted view of body image than light media users. In order to support these predictions, the study examines the impact of media use on college students’ perceptions of body image. By incorporating an online cross-sectional survey design, researchers examine the relationship between heavy media users’ perceptions of an ideal body compared to light media users.
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Molding Public Opinion: The Role of the Media in China Michael Lu Faculty Advisor: Yi Sun Department of History
The research project, conducted during a three-week period in Beijing, China, examines the role of the media in influencing the Chinese perception of the United States and Sino-American relations. The research process involved not only dissecting newspaper articles centered on the Chinese opinion of US.-China relations but also interviewing a number of prominent journalists and professors of journalism, including those working on Worker’s Daily, China Business Times, the only privately-funded newspaper in China, and the Dean of International Relations at Beijing University. My research findings have debunked several prior convictions I had conceived about journalism in China, especially those pertaining to the content and the tight control the government over both traditional and the emerging social media outlets. The research, based on primary sources, has led me to conclude that the media landscape in China is ever-changing and becoming more conscious about social issues than ever before and is not nearly as orchestrated by the government as many believe.
58 C R EAT I V E CO L LA B O R AT I O N S
/ Afternoon Poster Session